Contents of furanocoumarins in grapefruit juice and health foods

Interactions between grapefruit juice and medications have long been recognized. In recent years, several furanocoumarins (FCs) that inhibit P450 activity in intestinal microsomes have been isolated from grapefruit juice. FCs, i.e., bergamottin (BG), bergapten (BP), bergaptol (BT) and 6',7'-dihydroxybergamottin (DHB), in samples was extracted with acetonitrile, and separated on a Phenyl column using 0.1% phosphoric acid-acetonitrile gradient as a mobile phase, with monitoring at 311 nm. The recoveries of BG, BP, BT and DHB from lemon juice spiked at the level of 5.0 microg/g were 103+/-0.7%, 99.5+/-0.2%, 96.5+/-0.2% and 90.1+/-0.2%, respectively. The quantification limits were 1.0 microg/g in samples. The contents of BG, BP and DHB in grapefruit juice (n=13), citrus fruit of 20 species and health food (n=16) were measured. The contents of BG were 0-16 microg/g, 0-16 microg/g and 0-5.6 microg/g, BT were 0-39 microg/g, 0-13 microg/g and 0-28 microg/g, DHB were 0-10 microg/g, 0-35 microg/g and 0-6.2 microg/g, respectively. BP was not detected. These results suggest that patients prescribed calcium antagonists or antiallergic agents should be cautions about their intake of FCs from grapefruit juice, citrus and health foods.     

Oxidation products of polyunsaturated fatty acids in infant formulas compared to human milk--a preliminary study

Information about lipid oxidation in fresh and stored human milk compared with infant formulas is scarce. We aimed to assess n-6 and n-3 PUFA oxidation in these milks by measuring the 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE) and 4-hydroxyhexenal (4-HHE) content. Human milk samples (n = 4), obtained from volunteer mothers, were analyzed fresh and after 1 wk at 4 degrees C or 24 h at 18 degrees C. Vitamin E and malondialdehyde (MDA) were measured by HPLC and fatty acid profile by GC. The 4-HHE and 4-HNE contents were measured by GC-MS. Infant formulas (n = 10) were tested; their fat droplet size was measured by laser light scattering and observed by confocal laser scanning microscopy. Human milk samples contained 31.0 +/- 6.3 g/L of lipids and 1.14 +/- 0.26 mg/L of vitamin E. Fat droplets were smaller in infant formulas than reported in human milk. The (4-HHE/n-3 PUFA) ratio was 0.19 +/- 0.01 microg/g in fresh human milk (unchanged after storage) versus 3.6 +/- 3.1 microg/g in dissolved powder formulas and 4.3 +/- 3.8 microg/g in liquid formula. (4-HNE/n-6 PUFA) was 0.004 +/- 0.000 microg/g in fresh milk (0.03 +/- 0.01 microg/g after storage) versus 1.1 +/- 1.0 microg/g in dissolved powder formulas and 0.2 +/- 0.3 microg/g in liquid formula. Infant formulas also contained more MDA than human milk. n-3 PUFA were more prone to oxidation than n-6 PUFA. Whether threshold levels of 4-HHE and 4-HNE would be of health concern should be elucidated.     

Evaluation of aluminium concentrations in samples of chocolate and beverages by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

Samples of chocolate, cocoa, tea infusions, soft drinks and fruit juice have been examined by, electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETA-AAS) for the presence of aluminium (Al). Fruit juices and chocolate were analysed after an adequate sample preparation; the other products were evaluated directly. Sampling was performed in duplicate for 248 independent samples. The mean Al concentration in chocolate was 9.2 +/- 7.5 mg kg(-1), and individual values were correlated with the per cent of cocoa in samples (Y = 0.63 + 0.27X, r = 0.78, p < 0.0001). Al concentration in commercial tea infusions ranged from 0.9 to 3.3 mg l(-1) (mean = 1.80 +/- 65 mg l(-1), whereas in laboratory-prepared samples it was 2.7 +/- 0.93 mg l(-1). In soft drinks, the concentrations of Al were lower, ranging from 9.1 to 179 microg l(-1); the highest values were observed in samples of orange squash (mean = 114 +/- 56 microg l(-1)). Apricot juice showed the highest Al level (mean = 602 +/- 190 microg l(-1)), being statistically, different from that of pear (mean = 259 +/- 102 microg l(-1)), but not different from that of peach juice (mean = 486 +/- 269 microg kg(-1)). Toxicologically, the amount of Al deriving from the consumption of these products is far below the acceptable daily intake of 1 mg kg(-1) body weight indicated by the FAO/WHO, and it is a verv low percentage of the normal Al dietary intake.     

婴幼儿配方食品和乳粉中维生素C的测定

目的建立一种前处理简单、仪器条件稳定、准确高效的婴幼儿配方食品和乳粉中维生素C的检测方法。方法用含有三(2-羧乙基)膦(TCEP)的三氯乙酸(TCA)对样品中的维生素C进行提取,C18柱色谱分离,流动相为含TCEP与癸胺作为离子对试剂和pH 5.4的醋酸钠的混合水溶液,然后在紫外检测器265 nm处进行检测。结果本方法的相对标准偏差(n=6)在0.36%~3.2%之间,平均回收率为88.5%~97.9%,线性相关系数r~2大于0.9999。结论本方法实验前处理简单,干扰因素少;仪器条件稳定,灵敏度高,重复性好;适合婴幼儿配方食品和乳粉复杂基质样品的测定。     

Influence of commercial freezing and storage on vitamin C content of some vegetables

Vitamin C levels of commercially frozen okra, potatoes, green beans, broccoli, spinach and peas, including the impact of processing and storage, were studied. Depending on the vegetable type, prefreezing operations caused a 19.1–51.5% decrease in the initial vitamin C levels. The freezing process alone did not influence the vitamin levels except in the cases of green beans and spinach. Total losses (%) were between 27.6 and 57.9 for the vegetables at the end of commercial frozen storage (6 months). All the data obtained from this study confirmed that, depending on the vegetable type, prefreezing operations have a major impact on the vitamin C contents and this influence persists in the frozen storage.     

Polyphenol and vitamin C contents in European commercial blackcurrant juice products

Vitamin C and polyphenol contents (anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins, phenolic acids and flavonols) were analysed in commercial blackcurrant juice products purchased from various European countries (Finland, Poland, Germany, United Kingdom) using HPLC methods. The aim was to study variation between countries, as well as evaluate the intake of polyphenols from commercial juices. There was significant variation in the contents of polyphenols and vitamin C between countries. Expressed as the ready-to-drink beverages, German, Polish, Finnish and British products averaged anthocyanin contents of 38, 32, 12 and 7.5 mg/2.5 dl, proanthocyanidin contents of 27, 24, 10 and 1.2 mg/2.5 dl, flavonol contents of 16, 15, 5.2 & 1.9 mg/2.5 dl and phenolic acid contents of 12, 8.9, 3.7 and 1.5 mg/2.5 dl, respectively. The mean vitamin C content was highest in British (70 mg/2.5 dl) and lowest in Finnish products (15 mg/2.5 dl). The intake of polyphenols from German and Polish ready-to-drink beverages was clearly higher than that from Finnish, and especially, British beverages.     

Occurrence of ochratoxin A in wine and grape juice marketed in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Ochratoxin A (OA) is receiving attention world-wide because of the hazard it poses to human health. The aim was to test the distribution of OA in grape juice, pulps of frozen grapes, and national and imported table wine obtained from markets in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Analytical methodology using immunoaffinity column for OA extraction and clean-up with a final separation on a reversed-phase (C(18)) column and fluorescence detection in high-performance liquid chromatography showed a detection limit of 21 ng l(-1). The mean recovery was 91% for red wines and 82% for white wines; while the mean recoveries for juices and pulps of frozen grapes were 91.6 and 88%, respectively. Of 64 samples of grape juice and frozen pulps, 25% were positive for OA, being the mean content of 37 ng l(-1) with a maximum concentration of 100 ng l(-1). In wines, the mean concentration detected in 80 samples analysed was 34.4 ng l(-1) with 28.75% of positive samples. Red wines showed the highest percentages and levels of contaminated samples: 38% and 37 ng l(-1), respectively. The white wine contained levels above 26 ng l(-1) in 17.75% of the analysed samples. The levels of contamination detected in red wine sold in Río de Janeiro were not enough to surpass the virtually safe dose established as 5 n g kg(-1) body weight of daily intake.     

Lipoxygenase as Blanching Index for Frozen Vegetable Soybeans

Blanched samples of frozen vegetable soybeans using peroxidase (POD) and lipoxygenase (LIP) as blanching indices were compared with unblanched samples during storage by sensory evaluation, vitamin C determination and remaining enzyme activity. Samples using LIP and POD as blanching indices showed no significant differences in sensory quality during 160-day frozen storage, while both treatments were significantly different from unblanched samples. Vitamin C in samples using LIP as blanching index was higher than that in unblanched ones but not significantly different from that in samples using POD as an index. Samples using LIP as blanching index had 11.5% POD activity but no LIP activity, while blanched samples using POD as blanching index had no LIP or POD activities during storage.     

包装容器对绿芦笋汁货架期品质的影响

绿芦笋汁采用121℃、3min杀菌处理后,分别灌装于预先杀菌处理的玻璃瓶和聚对苯二甲酸乙二醇酯（PET）瓶中,于（4±1）℃冷藏,通过测定绿芦笋汁贮藏期间色泽、叶绿素、类胡萝卜素、维生素C、总酚和还原糖含量的变化,以探究不同包装容器对绿芦笋汁贮藏期间品质的影响。结果表明:玻璃瓶包装可有效延缓绿芦笋汁冷藏期间色泽亮度的上升和绿色的受损,抑制类胡萝卜素含量的上升,从而有效地保护绿芦笋汁的绿色,维持绿芦笋汁色泽的稳定性,在贮藏结束时L*值为56.15,a*值为-1.27,总叶绿素含量为5.584mg/L;玻璃瓶装绿芦笋汁的维生素C、总酚和还原糖含量的降低受到显著抑制,尤其是维生素C含量在贮藏3个月时仍为0.204mg/m L,保留率为82.93%,总酚和还原糖的保留率分别为52.74%、64.58%,而PET瓶装绿芦笋汁的维生素C、总酚和还原糖的保留率分别为28.05%、43.68%和58.67%。由此,玻璃瓶包装可有效维持绿芦笋汁冷藏期间的货架品质。      

反相高效液相色谱法测定草莓中的维生素C

报道了测定草莓中维生素C的反相高效液相色谱法。样品中的维生索C在zorbax ODs（5μm）反相色谱柱上分离、以0．025mol/LKH2PO4-甲醇（70:30）为流动相洗脱、用紫外检测法检测（λ=254 nm）。维生素C在2．5min内得到了良好的分离,检测范围为025mg/L。用于实际样品的分析,效果良好。     

蔬菜汁/粉替代亚硝酸盐在肉制品加工中的应用

蔬菜汁/粉营养丰富,亚硝酸盐含量极低,硝酸盐含量较高。添加蔬菜汁/粉可使肉制品获得腌肉特有品质,提高肉制品营养价值,有助于功能性肉制品的研发。本文主要概述了蔬菜汁/粉在肉制品加工中的应用及使用中应注意的问题。     

HPLC法测定小麦胚咀嚼片中维生素E

确定了高效液相快速测定小麦胚咀嚼片中维生素E含量的方法。色谱柱为反相C18柱(150mm×4.4mm),流动相为99%甲醇,检测波长为280nm,流速1.0ml/min,线性相关系数为0.999 4,检出限为0.2mg/L,重现性的相对标准偏差(RSD)为0.24%,方法的精密度RSD为1.005%,平均回收率97.8%。     

Nitrate and nitrite contents in vegetable juice, tea beverage and mineral water on the market

The contents of nitrate and nitrite in vegetable juice (n = 63), tea beverage (n = 12) and mineral water (n = 15) were measured. The mean contents of nitrate were 0.73 +/- 14.57 mg/100 g, 0.61 +/- 1.12 mg/100 g and 0.25 +/- 0.33 mg/100 g as NO3-, respectively. The contents of the nitrite were 0.03 +/- 0.05 mg/100 g, 0.02 +/- 0.01 mg/100 g and 0.001 +/- 0.001 mg/100 g as NO2-, respectively. The content of nitrate is high in some vegetable juices, and warnings may be necessary for people who drink them frequently.     

Phylloquinone (vitamin K1) content of commercially-available baby food products

The contents of phylloquinone (vitamin K₁) were investigated in two batches of 62 commercially available baby food products, by HPLC. They comprised vegetable products for babies from 5, 8 and 12 months and fruit and cereal products of three different brands. Vitamin K₁ was detected in all analyzed products. In vegetable products for babies from 5 months, the mean content of phylloquinone ranged from 30 to 100 μg/100 g, except for ‘Samples with spinach’, which provided 700 μg vitamin K₁/100 g on average. Vegetable products for babies from 8 months and from 12 months showed similar values. In the group of fruit and cereal products, the contents of phylloquinone were lower and varied between 10 and 20 μg/100 g only, except for ‘Various cereals’ (46 μg/100 g). The analyzed baby food products are a very good source of phylloquinone and are therefore excellent as a supplement to breast milk.     

Determination of total mercury in foods of plant origin in Poland by cold vapour atomic absorption spectrometry.

Total mercury concentrations were determined in 573 samples of agricultural crops and foods of plant origin which included cereals, fruit and vegetables and their products commercially available on the Polish market. The method of cold vapour atomic absorption spectrometry (CVAAS) after a wet-acid digestion in a closed-vessels and microwave oven was used and the reliability of the procedure demonstrated. Mercury concentrations in the agricultural crops and plant foods were generally below the maximum permissible limits in Poland and rarely exceeded 5 microg x kg(-1). Values ranged from <0.1 to 14 microg x kg(-1), mean 2.4 +/- 2.3 microg x kg(-1) in wheat and rye grains; from <0.1 to 2.4 microg x kg(-1), mean 0.5 +/- 0.4 microg x kg(-1) in nine varieties of vegetables; from <0.1 to 5.1 microg x kg(-1), mean 1.1 +/- 0.9 microg x kg(-1) in seven varieties of fruit; from <0.1 to 5.6 microg x kg(-1) in cereal products and jams; and from <0.1 to 3.0 microg x l(-1) in fruit and vegetable juices, nectars and beverages. The contribution of the mercury in the analysed agricultural crops and foods of plant origin to the weekly dietary intake of total mercury was 8 microg/person, which represents only 3% of the provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) for this metal.     

贵州遵义辣椒矿质元素含量与其品质相关性分析

采集贵州遵义地区辣椒样品,测定辣椒样品的12?种矿质元素（K、Ca、Mg、P、S、Fe、Mn、Zn、Cu、Mo、Ni、Co）含量与4?种品质指标（辣椒碱、VC、蛋白质、干物质）,探讨辣椒品质与矿质元素的关系,利用主成分分析和聚类分析对辣椒品质进行分析。结果表明：遵义辣椒矿质元素含量呈现K＞P＞S＞Mg＞Ca＞Fe＞Zn＞Mn＞Cu＞Ni＞Mo＞Co的特征。与前人研究结果相比,遵义辣椒的蛋白质、VC、干物质含量高,营养丰富,而辣椒碱含量变化大。辣椒VC与Cu含量呈显著正相关（r=0.584,P＜0.05,n=16）,与K、Ca、Mg、P、S、Zn含量亦呈正相关关系。主成分分析的前2?个主成分解释的总方差贡献率为49.368%,辣椒碱是辣椒品质评价的重要参考指标,K、Mg、P、S、Zn、Cu、Ni、Co为辣椒果实的特征元素。聚类分析结果表明辣椒品质和矿质元素在不同地域间存在差异,同一地域辣椒的品质与矿质元素含量往往相近,辣椒品质存在明显的地域分布特征。     

Lead content of dietary calcium supplements available in Brazil.

The lead and calcium content of calcium supplements available in Brazil were determined by graphite furnace and flame atomic absorption spectrometry, respectively. Samples were microwave-digested in concentrated HNO(3). Citric acid was used as a chemical modifier in the lead analysis. Supplements were classified into six categories: oyster industrialized (OI, n=4), oyster prepared in pharmacy (OP, n=3), refined industrialized (RI, n=6), refined prepared in pharmacy (RP, n=3), bone meal (B, n=3), and dolomite (D, n=4). Lead levels (microg g(-1) of measured calcium) were higher in D products (2.33), followed by OI, RP, OP, and RI products (1.46, 1.32, 1.29, 0.75), while B products had levels lower than the limit of quantification (0.02 microg g(-1) unit weight). Daily lead intake of eight supplements exceeded the limit of California, USA (1.5 microg g(-1) calcium), but none exceeded the federal limit of USA (7.5 microg g(-1) calcium) or the provisional tolerable lead intake by FAO/WHO (25 microg kg(-1) per week).     

Comparative analysis of zinc status, food products' frequency intake and food habits of 11-year-old healthy children.

Children are particularly vulnerable to zinc (Zn) deficiency during periods of rapid growth and development such as infancy and adolescence. The aim was to find the relationship between food frequency, intake, food habits and zinc status in 11-year-old healthy children from southern Poland. The study group comprised children (n = 157) in the age range 11.0 +/- 0.4 years. The level of Zn in serum, erythrocytes and hair samples was measured using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The parents of children examined completed a special food frequency questionnaire. The Zn concentration in hair (boys 182.98 +/- 65.63 microg x g(-1), n = 78; girls 203.82 +/- 39.80 microg x g(-1), n = 79; p = 0.0171), erythrocytes (8.60 +/- 2.76 mg x l(-1), n = 50) and blood serum (0.79 +/- 0.15 mg x l(-1)) correlated significantly (p < 0.05) with frequency intake of different products (hair: meat, rolls, fruit juices without additives, brawn, pate, barley, black pudding, fish canned, chips, margarine used for cooking, bacon; erythrocytes: fruits, matured cheese, dishes of meal, white cottage cheese, fruit juices without additives, cakes and cakes with cream, margarine used for bread spread; blood serum: bread, fruits, milk, kefir, yoghurt). The relationship of the Zn amount in food products, food frequency intake and the concentration in different healthy children tissues is influenced by many internal and external factors.     

Detection of patulin in apple juices marketed in the Tohoku district, Japan

Patulin is a mycotoxin mainly produced by Penicillium and Aspergillus. We investigated the incidence of patulin contamination in 179 samples of apple juice and 9 samples of mixed juice (containing apple juice concentrate as an ingredient) commercially available in the Tohoku district of Japan. Patulin was detected in 3 of 143 samples containing domestic fruits and in 6 of 45 samples containing imported products and products produced in Japan using imported apple juice concentrate. Patulin analyses were carried out using high-pressure liquid chromatography with a detection limit of 4 microg/liter. The patulin content of contaminated domestic samples (three samples with concentrations ranging from 6 to 10 microg/liter), imported samples (one sample with a concentration of 15 microg/liter), and domestic samples produced containing imported concentrate (five samples with concentrations ranging from 6 to 9 microg/liter) was lower than the maximum limit of 50 microg/liter currently adopted by many countries, including Japan.     

Trace analysis of perchlorate anion in selected food products by reverse-phase liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

An alternative, rapid, and reproducible method of analysis for perchlorate in selected food products (fruit and vegetable juice, milk, and bottled water) was developed and validated. Improvements over previous methods were achieved by the use of a rugged and inexpensive C18 column, a multi-mode OASIS HLB solid-phase extraction cartridge for sample clean-up, and acetic acid for pH adjustment and protein precipitation. The hydrophobicity of the perchlorate anion gives it good retention and separation characteristics on C18 chromatographic columns. The C18 column allowed for the use of 90% of acetonitrile at a low flow rate (0.3 ml min(-1)), without splitting, and could also be regenerated with organic solvents, unlike an ion-exchange column. Perchlorate levels in selected commercial food samples were: <1.0-2.1 ng g(-1) (fruit and vegetable juices, reported here for the first time), <1.0-5.0 ng g(-1) (milk), and <1.0 ng g(-1) (bottled water).